Ukiah city manager agrees to pay cut

The Ukiah City Council tonight will consider a new, five-year contract for City Manager Jane Chambers that includes a 10-percent reduction in her salary and benefits.

Hired in 2008, Chambers' original five-year contract expires next month. In January, the council approved a two-year extension while a new contract agreement was worked out with Mayor Doug Crane and Council member Mary Anne Landis.

According to the staff report prepared for tonight's meeting, Chambers has agreed to a five-and-a-half year contract "with provision for a full 10-percent compensation cost reduction ... for Fiscal Year 2013/14."

However, the report states, "as the negotiations process is underway with labor groups, the contract provides that the 10 percent reduction may be modified if the council reaches agreements with other groups for less than this amount."

As part of her annual review process, Chambers may request "a cost of living and/or merit pay increase, (but) there are no automatic increases contained in the agreement; any changes must be approved by the council."

According to the spread sheet provided with the staff report, Chambers' previous compensation was $246,717, starting with a base salary of $150,000 and including $16,500 of merit pay, $8,653 of executive pay and a $3,600 car allowance.

In the new contract, the merit pay, executive pay and car allowance have been eliminated. Chambers will submit mileage logs for business travel rather than receive a fixed amount.

"Such costs will be charged to an operations account rather than personnel costs, and are estimated to be about $2,100 annually," according to the report.

The total compensation reduction is $24,672, with $20,343, or $1,695.25 a month, "borne directly out of the city manager's pay, and $4,329 from (Public Employees' Retirement System) cost savings to the city."

Justine Frederiksen can be reached at udjjf@ukiahdj.com, on Twitter @JustFrederiksen or at 468-3521.